Former NHL player Nate Prosser in 2015. (AP Photo/Paul Vernon)
THIS IS THE GET IN THE GAME PODCAST
WITH SCOTT LINEBRINK
Nate Prosser played 10 years in the NHL, spending time with the Minnesota Wild, St. Louis Blues and Philadelphia Flyers. He played multiple sports growing up in Elk River, Minnesota, before ultimately deciding to stick with hockey.
He joins Scott Linebrink on “Get in the Game” this week to talk about his career in the NHL and how he made it his mission to be a “vessel” for Christ both on and off the ice. He also talks about his heart for service and how his faith guides him in all that he does.
Nick and Marcus Foligno have built long NHL careers on toughness, leadership and a willingness to rise in big moments. But this season, perhaps the moment that matters most won’t show up in a box score.
Though the two brothers play on separate teams, they’re teaming up to raise money for breast cancer research in honor of their late mother, Janis, who died in 2009. Through a partnership with the Chicago Blackhawks, Minnesota Wild, NHL, NHLPA and the V Foundation via Hockey Fights Cancer, the Foligno Face-Off has become one of the most meaningful initiatives of their careers.
“It’s really special,” Nick, the Blackhawks captain, recently told NHL.com. “Obviously, it’s something that’s near and dear to us with our mother and losing her to breast cancer. But the fight continues and that’s something Marcus and I have always said we would do in her honor is to continue to fight and continue to find ways to make it a better outcome for somebody else. I think she’d be proud of that.”
This year’s campaign invites fans to donate $17 — a nod to the number both brothers wear — or whatever they can give. One hundred percent of every donation goes directly to the V Foundation for breast cancer research, expanding the impact of the Janis Foligno Foundation, which has raised more than $1.2 million for research and patient care.
For the brothers, this is more than a cause. It’s a continuation of the life their mother helped shape. Her voice, her presence and her joy still echo in the memories that shaped them. While their dad, Mike, played in the NHL, Janis was often the one driving them to their own games and practices, which were often several hours away.
She made plenty of sacrifices to help both brothers reach their dreams of playing professional hockey.
“Our dad played hockey, and we listened to him for advice on how to play,” Marcus, a forward for the Wild, told The Athletic in 2023. “But if it wasn’t for our mom getting us where we needed to go, being such a supporter and booster of our confidence, I don’t think we would have made it.”
“She was the drill sergeant in the family, the motivator, the everything, really,” Nick told The Athletic. “She was the rock — which is why it really rocked our family when we lost her.”
Though she never saw the full arc of their NHL careers, she did see both boys get drafted and saw the start of Nick’s career after he was drafted in 2006 and made his debut in 2007. Marcus was drafted in June 2009 — by the Buffalo Sabres, one of the teams his father played for — and Janis passed away in July.
“It was emotional,” Marcus told The Athletic. “You think your mother hung on for that day, to see you get drafted. It was weird how full circle it was. Buffalo. It could have been anywhere in the NHL. She knew I’d be going home with a lot of family and friends there. She knew I’d be good. I’d be safe. It was a crazy, crazy, special moment.”
The lessons she instilled carry forward in both men’s lives, now shaping the way both brothers parent their own kids and the way they lead in their locker rooms.
Their faith in God also plays a central role in how they move through grief, success and every season in between. Both are actively involved with Hockey Ministries International.
Nick often returns to the clarity of Romans 12:12, which says, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”
“I just love how simple and direct a message it is,” he once told HMI. “I think it perfectly describes the journey we go on in our faith in Christ. Always be hopeful because without it, I firmly believe we are lost. When hard times come, be patient and strong and know it won’t last. And lastly be constantly in dialogue with Jesus because to me that’s how you stay connected.”
Marcus said he’s fortunate to be able to play the game he loves “with Christ guiding me through all the ups and downs.”
“Attending team chapels throughout the season also helps me,” he once told HMI. “Our schedule is demanding and it’s easy to get caught up in uncontrollable events. Chapel provides a place for me and some of my teammates to sit down, reflect and grow our faith together. It helps us see the bigger picture and ease the stresses that come with our job — and to let go and focus on Jesus.”
Nick missed the first of his face-offs with Marcus (Nov. 26) due to injury, but the brothers are scheduled to meet three more times this season (Jan. 27, March 17 and March 19). Each time, fans can choose between Team Nick or Team Marcus, and each donor will be entered to win a Hockey Fights Cancer jersey signed by both brothers, as well as a signed puck from one of the teams.
THIS IS THE GET IN THE GAME PODCAST
WITH SCOTT LINEBRINK
Our guest today is Matthew Boyd, starting pitcher for the Chicago Cubs. In 2025, Boyd was named to the NL All-Star team and led the Cubs to the playoffs with a career-high 14 wins, to go along with a 3.21 ERA and 154 strikeouts.
Matthew Boyd joins Scott Linebrink to discuss his perspective on playing baseball as a divine calling rather than just a sport. He emphasizes the importance of preparation, daily commitment, and the role of faith in overcoming challenges.
THIS IS THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCAST WITH MATT FORTE, FEATURING KENT JOHNSON & OWEN POWER
Owen Power is a defenseman for the Buffalo Sabres. He was selected first overall in the 2021 NHL Draft, and made his NHL debut on April 12, 2022, against Toronto.
Kent Johnson is a center for the Columbus Blue Jackets. He was selected fifth overall in the same 2021 NHL Draft, and made his NHL debut April 13, 2022, against Montreal.
Power and Johnson were teammates in college at the University of Michigan.
Today on the podcast, Owen Power and Kent Johnson talk about their time together in college, being top-five picks in the same draft, growing in their faith in Jesus, and how they want to live out their faith through the platform of hockey.
THIS IS THE GET IN THE GAME PODCAST
WITH SCOTT LINEBRINK
Our guest today is bestselling author, leadership expert and keynote speaker Tim Elmore.
Host Scott Linebrink talks with Tim Elmore about the importance of servant leadership, the unique characteristics of Generation Z, and how to mentor young leaders to shift from a me-first to a we-first mindset. The conversation emphasizes the need for humility, compassion, and the power of influence in shaping the next generation of leaders.
